Anonymous

“ A dim light was burning in the room nearest the children; and as they approached, they could see their father and mother sitting at a table, eating their coarse supper of bread and cold salt pork.
Lolly thought what a pleasant table Alice had by the brook-side, and the scent of the violets seemed even now to reach her, and the music of the waters was in her ears, and the bright, happy face of her little playmate came freshly before her, making the dingy room where her parents sat, p. 36with the gloom of the dim light and the tattered dusty furniture, still more uninviting and cheerless. ”

“ It was not very long after the children learned to look away from earth p. 60to the blest abode beyond the skies, when Lolly began to droop and grow weak and listless; and, although her parents and Maddie thought it was but a trifling illness, she herself felt that her Father was about to call her home. She was not afraid to die; and, when she grew so languid that her little feet lost the power to take her to the Sunday-school, Miss Mason and Alice and the kind minister came often to talk to her of her approaching joy. ”

“ Her sister would not always let her play with her, and it was only a mere chance that led her to follow Maddie p. 42the day before and get acquainted with Alice.
I did not mean to say chance. I would rather say a kind watchful Providence—which is the true and right word for a Christian to use; because everything that happens in this world is governed by God’s over-ruling power for some good purpose; and Lolly was led to the spot where her sister and Alice were at play, expressly that she might learn something of her bright, eternal home. ”

“ It is only the idle and vicious that need be really miserable. If God does not always give us plenty of money, he furnishes us with so many rich things in this world of his, that we may adorn even a lowly and barren place until it shall appear richer than the gayest palace. Maddie and Lolly found this out through Alice ”

“ O Maddie, there isn’t anything on earth so beautiful as what God has made!”
“Do you stay out here always?” asked Maddie.
“Oh no,” said Alice; “that would be idle. When mother has work I stay at home to help her. I’ve learned to sew nicely now, and can save mother many a stitch. To-day’s my holiday, and I can play with you as long as you please. I’ve brought some dinner, and we’ll set a table in my dining-hall.” And she took from her pocket a little parcel, and led Maddie from the bower to a hollow p. 17near the brook, where was a flat rock, and there she spread her frugal fare. ”

“ The little girl looked at her, and straightened her figure to its greatest possible height.
“Not to carry yourself proudly, as the daughter of an earthly king might do,” continued the lady, “but be above doing a mean or low thing, and try to be heavenly and pure, like your blessed Lord and Father; and then he will lift you up to his beautiful, high throne.” ”

“ The child’s head drooped again, and she looked despondingly at her teacher, as if she did not really know what to do.
“I’m going now,” said the lady; “but I shall come once a week to see how you get on. I shall not expect the cobwebs to gather any more in the cottage, nor the dust to collect upon the floor, nor to shut out the sun from the window, nor the little p. 28princess’s face to be dirty and ugly; because that would offend the pure and holy God, who made this world fresh and clean and beautiful, and expects his children to keep it so. ”

“ So soon as they began to feel the presence of the heavenly King, all the despondency and gloom vanished, and, even though poor and hard-working, they were happy in the possession of such riches as nothing but the love and favour of our heavenly Father can give. ”

“ They packed away the wood and chips in the closet under the lowest shelf, and washed the dishes and set them up edgewise in their proper places; and they mopped the floor, and scrubbed the windows and table, and brought boughs of evergreen to hang upon the nails around the walls and make it cheerful and pretty.
Alice thought of this. She said, “Rich folks hang paintings on their walls—and these are God’s pictures, the work of his almighty fingers, and so beautiful! Why not put them where we can always look at them, and in them see his love and kindness?”
Lolly thought her the most wonderful p. ”

“ You’ll be a beautiful butterfly.’
“The caterpillar laughed at the idea; but, as she turned around and saw the eggs upon the leaf all hatched into little crawling caterpillars, she was forced to believe what the lark p. 63had said concerning herself; and she went about as happy as could be, telling everybody what a glorious change would come to her after she had folded herself in her close chrysalis.”
The minister told Lolly that this caterpillar in the chrysalis was like us worms of the dust when lying in the narrow grave enshrouded in our death-robes ”

“ Her face was dull, and her hair showed no touch of brush or comb, and her nails were long and dirty; but she jumped from her perch with some signs of shame as she saw Alice, so neat and tidy, at the door; and she began to scramble about as if she wished to make things a little better.
“May I help you to-day, Maddie?” asked Alice. “I haven’t any work at home, and I like to get things tidy. We’ll make such a room of this before night!” And, without another word, she began in earnest to bring order out of strange confusion.
Lolly was a capital helper, because p. ”